Garden Guy column: The shortest day of the year
Thursday December 21 is the Winter Solstice which marks the beginning of astronomical winter. It is the shortest day of the year for those of us in the northern hemisphere. There are many holidays, festivals, traditions, and legends connected with the Winter Solstice and observed by people all over the world. A common theme that marks many is that of hope associated with the longer daylight hours and the sun rising higher in the sky after sinking lower for months.
The astronomical start of a season is based on the position of the Earth in relation to the Sun. By contrast, the meteorological start of a season is based on the annual temperature cycle and 12-month calendar. Thus, winter began on December 1 meteorologically. This definition was created to make it easier to keep records of the weather.
Although the coldest part of winter is ahead, I always take heart in the fact that the days are getting longer. While I am not a victim of depression or feeling down associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter like some people, I do relish the knowledge that more sunlight is occurring each day.
We are fortunate to have a sunroom in our house, and winter is when I enjoy it the most. It faces the east and thus gets morning sun. I am a morning person and particularly enjoy drinking some juice or coffee while reading a good book in the warm sunroom after my morning exercise walk.
This room also allows us to enjoy many plants during the winter. In bloom as I write this are two large pots of red geraniums (Pelargonium spp.), a flamingo flower (Anthurium andraeanum), a crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii), and a Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata).
In the past I have also had tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), lemon tree (Citrus x meyeri), and others. I hope to have a moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) bloom later in winter as it did last year. After the first of the year, I will begin forcing bulbs such as paperwhites (Narcissus tazetta and others) that will provide more color and fragrance in the coming months.
A Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is the largest plant in the sunroom now having replaced an even larger jade plant (Crassula spp.) that was over 20 years old and four feet tall. A number of other tropical plants complete the jungle resulting in a lush garden to soothe me through the dreary days of winter. In other rooms are seasonal poinsettias and Amaryllis to brighten rooms without as much sunlight.
For gardeners and non-gardeners alike, having the sensory stimulation that plants provide in the winter is very uplifting. Perhaps this is a contributing factor to why I don’t get depressed in winter. Visit our local nurseries where you will find an array of plants that can give you the same rewards. Even without a sunroom, everyone can find a place for a growing reminder that with the longer days, spring is on the way.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Garden Guy column: The shortest day of the year
